What Rafael Nadal Proved by Beating Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal has had to listen to his share of skeptics in the last month. He's losing it, people said. Roger Federer's got the edge, people said.

Maybe not.

On Sunday, Rafa proved that he's still the man to beat on clay. Let Federer own every other surface in the world when you get on the soft stuff, nobody trumps Nadal.

The win gave Nadal his third French Open championship, and pushed his career record at Roland Garros to 21-0. As absurd as it sounds, you've almost to got consider the possibility that he might never lose.

Of course he probably will, eventually but even then it's bound to be more of a fluke than anything else. As Roger Federer found out on Sunday, Rafael Nadal really is that good.

And until someone comes along and proves otherwise, Rafa will always always be the odds-on favorite in Paris.